Vicar of Christ (from Latin Vicarius Christi) is a term used in different ways .. with different theological connotations throughout history .. As the original notion a vicar is of >> earthly representative of God or Christ << but also used in sense of "person acting as parish priest in place of a real parson" The title is now used in Catholicism to refer to the bishops and more specifically to the Bishop of Rome (the pope) http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15403b.htm